


To make it alright

by RobinWritesChirps



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Reality, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24542320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinWritesChirps/pseuds/RobinWritesChirps
Summary: Becky had mended him again. Not strictly her doing, for he had had to put in the work on himself to find the light he had thought buried forever. Never could he have done it without her, however, and without her good soul, he never would have found in himself the strength to change the shape of his family once more. From three to two back to three, and prompted by Becky's kindest heart, he dared to ask the girls to make that a five. And soon, five would become six.Cute little family fluffy feels :)
Relationships: Becky Barnes/Tom Houston, Hannah Foster & Tom Houston, Lex Foster & Tom Houston, Tim Houston & Tom Houston
Comments: 15
Kudos: 16





	To make it alright

There had been Becky and Tom, forever ago. The darkest years on his own after their roads had parted, vainly trying to figure out who Thomas Houston was between hero and monster on the war field. Jane had picked up what was left of him, prodded him back into the shape of a man, given him joy, company and comfort to come home to. She had sharpened a bleak vision of the future and, the highest of blessings, had given him a child. Tom and Jane and Tim, a functional and almost happy little family until the triangle was torn down and Tom and his son could only figure out for themselves what could be made of two broken sides that never quite managed to touch anymore.

Becky had mended him again. Not strictly her doing, for he had had to put in the work on himself to find the light he had thought buried forever. Never could he have done it without her, however, and without her good soul, he never would have found in himself the strength to change the shape of his family once more. From three to two back to three, and prompted by Becky's kindest heart, he dared to ask the girls to make that a five.

When deployed, he had thought the worst days were surely the present he was living, hating the war and hating himself, a shame that had clung for years and would likely never quite leave. Then Jane had passed and he had known for sure that the worst days were only now at hand, a pain so raw and hurting with every step, every breath, a pain he had desperately needed to share but had not found how before Becky, before she had helped him to be the family Tim and Emma needed him to be. Likewise in high school, he had thought his life could get any better than this, he had thought he was the champion of the world and that everything he wanted was just within reach. How wrong he had been, he could only foolishly reflect on with impeccable hindsight. But then he had taken his very life back into his own hands and he knew now that he was living the best of it. The pain never left, it wasn’t forgotten, but the love he shared with Becky and, yes, with his son and daughters, was all the stronger for it, like a thread made more solid for having been torn and darned.

And soon, five would become six.

Becky’s belly grew bigger every day. Tom fought the urge in himself to shout at every passerby how proud he was to father yet another child, how thrilled to soon hold a soft little newborn in his big calloused hands. The miracle of life, he supposed, never lost its wonder, spectacular every time a new life was brought into the world to a loving family. He knew he was doting too much and bordered on overbearing, but he could hardly reign himself in at the thought of Becky bearing in herself a whole new being that was a bit of her, a bit of him.

It helped that the other children were just as excited. Lex being grown, it wasn’t that she felt the addition as a new play buddy, rather she was glad to have a sibling who she didn’t have to parent, at the most to occasionally babysit. Tim had been forlornly resolved to the life of an only child and had already readily welcomed two sisters, but how much elated at a new _younger_ sibling coming into their family. And Hannah, Hannah followed suit, content to smile and nod at the mention of the baby. Not quite the thrill of her brother nor the causticity of her sister, but a perfect balance of cautious optimism. The three of them made an excited flutter around Becky to help her in every way. Sometimes at Tom’s expense.

"Shoo," he grumbled, just out of the shower to find a crowd in his bedroom instead of the one wife he had expected. He was suddenly thankful to have a towel around his waist tonight. "Everyone out, what are you doing here?!"

Becky was lying leisurely face down on the bed in the middle a mountain of pillows arranged for her comfort − surely by the kids. Kneeling on the bed in their pajamas on either side of her, the two younger ones were like deer caught in headlights. Hannah had been braiding Becky’s hair but her hands stopped and the end strands loosened a little. Tim’s mouth gaped open at being scolded. His little hands gripping and rubbing Becky’s back and shoulders stopped in their tracks.

"I think that’s obvious, Thomas," Lex replied dryly from the doorway and his face snapped at her to glare. She had been filming the whole thing but he nodded at her phone for her to stop it. "Alright…"

"It’s bed time," he said firmly. "Off to bed, all of you. Now."

"But I was just…"

Poor Tim looked defeated and he was about to climb off the bed when Becky caught him by the arm, turning back around with some effort. A month and a half till the baby came, if the doctor had the right of it. She was waddling a little when she walked, but it wasn’t yet the biggest she’d get. A massage sounded like just about the right idea, but she had a husband for that, didn’t she?

"Hannah was braiding my hair," she explained softly, "And Tim was giving me a quick back rub."

" _I_ offered!" Tim said as if to justify any fault. "Becky says she likes it when I do it."

Becky smiled at him and nodded.

"Like father, like son," she said, which gave Tom a sense of pride he kept silent. "Well, you heard him, bed time."

Tim, good and easy going as he had always been, as he hopefully always would be, was the first on his feet and gave each of them a kiss and a hug on his way out. Hannah pouted at the sight of the unfinished braid but likewise stood and snuggled into Lex’s side at the doorway, who had been on her phone possibly posting whatever she had filmed here.

"I’ll be right over," Tom promised. "To say goodnight."

Maybe Hannah was growing much too big for a nightly tuck in but, as she had not yet complained about it, he kept the tradition going. He wondered if that would change with a newborn in the house. He hoped that it wouldn’t. The girls out, he put on some pajama pants under Becky’s amused smile. She leaned back into the pillows, pulled the covers over her.

"Jealous to be replaced?" She teased. "He’s getting pretty good at this, I feel relaxed."

He chuckled and put on a tank top, passing by the bed to kiss the top of her head on his way out of the room.

"You know I’m not," he said gently. His hands rubbed softly up and down her arms till he pulled away. "I’ll be right back, you’re getting seconds in a bit."

Lex was in Hannah’s room again. When the pregnancy test had read positive months ago, Tom and Becky had gathered the kids and decided on moving to a new home, bigger and better suited to a growing family. They had given the girls the choice to have their own room each, which they had taken, and still every night they were holed up in the same room, whichever of the two it was, often Hannah’s. They muttered and chattered to each other a little past bedtime, which Tom always scolded a little, but never to the point of putting a stop to it.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," he told Hannah and cozily tucked her in the canopy bed Lex and him had built for her with their own hands. "You’ll braid her hair tomorrow, alright?"

"Huh huh," Hannah nodded and smiled at the kiss he gave on her forehead.

He gave one to Lex for the sake of fairness. Grown out of some of her biting sass, she had stopped rolling her eyes, surely judging him from the inside only. He was fine with that either way. At Tim’s door, he only waved as per his son’s strict instructions that, as he was in middle school now, he was far too old for more than one goodnight kiss per person per night, two at the most for special occasions.

Becky’s eyes were closed when he came back to her, but she opened them at his entrance and gave him a tired smile. She seemed always to be tired these days, no matter how she protested that she was perfectly fine. Tom saw better, noticed all the signs, adjusted himself accordingly if he could. He shuffled the pillows to the side to sit behind her back and she sighed in contentment when his hands touched her.

"Mmh, the master is still more skilled than the apprentice…"

He kissed her shoulder, smiling.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. "Truly."

She stretched a little but fell back into his good care, almost purring at being touched so.

"A little sore," she admitted reluctantly. "Tim helped and you’re helping, but he’s kicked all day and…"

He pushed to the side the braid Becky had finished for Hannah, for the sake of not completely undoing her work, and kissed the back of her neck. Only with some insistence did she ever let him in on the woes of her pregnancy. Jane had been less afraid to be vocal, but also more willing to create her own comfort with or without his help. Becky was a little more timid. Love all the same prompted him to offer then as now.

"I’m not used to this," she sighed. "It’s been months and I’m still not used to it. It’s like I can’t… I can’t register it."

Her head leaned back against his shoulder and she reached to wrap his arms around her. His hands pushed up her shirt to flatten against the bump and, like magic, the baby came to nestle into the touch, a trick the midwife had taught them. He wasn’t sure he could tell Becky’s heartbeat from the baby’s, but both of them beat steady and strong under his palms. He kissed her cheek.

"It’s hard," he said, "To accept that we’ve made it."

She turned to look at him and the tenderness of her gaze broke his heart and mended it again in one look. She kissed him and her hands covered his. The baby gave a feeble kick, as if begging for their attention and Tom chuckled, looking down at their four hands together.

"But I’m sure he won’t let us forget."

She huffed. Her eyes closed again, the exhaustion was catching up so much earlier at night these days. It made up for all the times she had teased him for going to bed so early. Tired, she was soft and warm in his arms and he wondered if she would fall asleep like this, if he would just have to spend the night sitting up. He would do it if she did. He had before. But Becky grabbed the pillows and gently tore herself from his arms for a brief moment to lie side by side. He pulled her into him to rest her face against his shoulder and she breathed out comfortably.

"I don’t understand how he can get any bigger," she muttered, which made him laugh softly. "I feel like I’m three times the size I was, my belly is like a tiger with all those stretch marks."

It was a rare indulgence for her to let herself complain on any of it and Tom held her closer to comfort her all the more.

"I like them," he said. "It shows we’re getting closer."

"Well, I’m sure you like the boobs that come with it," she smirked.

Her leg pressed between his for better comfort. Sleeping had become a whole enterprise every night, finding the right position that wouldn’t leave her aching in the morning. Tom had offered to leave her the bed and to take the pullout couch but Becky swore she slept terribly without his arms around her, no matter the position, so he had stayed. He preferred it that way too.

"I liked them before, too," he said and Becky smiled against his shoulder. "You’re beautiful, babe."

"Thank you," she said in a low voice and yawned. "I’m sorry if you wanted to talk, cause I think I’m gonna turn in."

His fingers were toying with the braid but stopped at her words and he kissed the top of her head.

"Alright," he said. "Goodnight, love you."

"Love you too."

She tucked herself closer. Tom loved the feel of her small hand against his chest, her leg between his, the press of her belly against his hips, the son they would have soon in their arms right between them even hidden away in her belly. Her breath quieted down and he wasn’t sure if she was sleeping yet, but soon she would. And she might nap again in the afternoon tomorrow as she often did these days. Pregnancy was making an idle kitten out of her and he loved her all the more for it. Life found a way to bend and change you, for better or for worse.

Each of them, all five under this roof, were not who they had been, he was sure. He could still remember the bright eyed young man he had been, broken deep to the point of denying himself all happiness, but he had found it again, hard as it had been. Becky had suffered even more and no matter how cheerful she could be, the shadow of the past was not gone, only assuaged. Lex and Hannah were still coming to terms with being loved, with being wanted, and Tim’s grief was only a little under the surface.

Still, all of them had found a way out of the worst and deepest part of their story. They were livelier now, happier in the certitude that they had each other to get through the rest of it. Pieces of a puzzle falling together by happenstance and effort, forming a picture they had never imagined would be their daily life but fitting together snug.

He couldn’t say if he was a better father now that he had known how it was when he wasn’t one. He couldn’t say if Becky would be a better mother after having known what being hated and despised at home really entailed. He couldn’t say if the children would be better siblings from knowing the meaning of sorrow much better than any child ought to comprehend. None of them knew any other way, that was sure. The hardest part of their lives was behind them, but not by far and not forgotten. The best part of it, though, he was sure as he cradled his snoozing pregnant wife in his arms, was happening right before their eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you’ve read this! Please do!


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